WiSI is an all-in-one radio, IP-67 rated outdoor/weather-proof data acquisition and control device designed for rapid deployment to monitor and control remote sensors. WiSI-SP from Rugid Computer has an integrated solar panel, 10-year maintenance-free energy storage, and communicates up to a week without sunlight. With a 2.4 GHz radio, data is passed up to 2 miles per hop with 128-bit AES encryption. Standard I/O includes four each: analog inputs, digital inputs, digital outputs; 5 V and 18 V dc instrument supplies for powering sensors or a 4 mA to 20 mA loop, 0.25 mA supply for powering RTDs, and an RS232 port for polling Modbus-slave sensors. WiSI networks easily integrate into SCADA systems via Modbus RTU.

The significance of the WiSI to design engineers and integrators is that one WiSI-SP can provide functionality to monitor/control up to eight sensors that previously required a RTU, radio, battery, outdoor/weather-proof enclosure, antenna, solar panel, and solar regulator—all in about the size of a soda can and weighing less than 1 lb. WiSI can monitor/power sensors in remote locations where power is not available, providing data acquisition and control where previously the need existed but the solution was not practical. With a small size (designed to slip inside 2-in. pipe) and all-in-one packaging, monitoring sensors in difficult locations is simplified. WiSIs self-configure into a robust wireless network, adapting to changing environmental conditions.

What differentiates WiSI is that it uses a super-capacitor for energy storage; there are no batteries to change. With a 20+ year integrated solar panel there is no separate energy source to provide and maintain. The configuration can be remotely uploaded, removing the requirement to access the remote field node to change the configuration. WiSI provides an extended radio range, a large network size (up to 200 nodes/network), and a variety of I/O types and sensor power supplies in one package.